A Compassionate Neighbor

A Compassionate Neighbor

Mat 14:13-16 NIV - When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food." Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."

The number of times in which we see Jesus showing compassion on the needy is astonishing. This really ought to make us stop and examine our own lives. If we proclaim to have Christ living within us, then the same sort of compassion that lived in Him must live in us. This means we, too, must help the needy. Many believers are terrified of this command. “What can I do?” they ask. “I’m not a missionary or a pastor—let them do it.” The truth, however, is that the same spirit resides in all of us--the same spirit that “had compassion on [a large crowd] and healed their sick.” The same spirit that did not follow the advice of his disciples but commanded his disciples to “give [the crowds] something to eat.” Now, our Lord did not well have to show compassion to these people. Furthermore, He did not have to top it off with one of the most popular and spectacular miracles of all time. But this was who Jesus was, and this is who Jesus is.

Beloved, that Jesus is in us as well. He commands us to show love and compassion to our neighbors. We, too, are asked for many things by many people. People have all sorts of needs in their lives. It is through these needs that we have an opportunity to show them their greatest need—salvation. Neediness is an interface to salvation—a bridge which connects the saved man to the lost man. When others see good deeds, they see a motive behind good deeds. By openly showing them our motive of love, their hearts are hopefully turned further to God. I once opened the door for a woman in one of my college classes. She looked at me in shock and said, “I didn’t know guys still did that kind of stuff anymore.” People in our society do not expect compassion, for our society is still incredibly individualistic. When they see it, we are given an opportunity to do as our Lord often did, and present to them the Gospel or at least to plant the seed of the Gospel into their lives.

Will you show compassion today? I know we are often busy, and it is easy to simply yell, “No time!” and move on. This is precisely what we must not do. We can make time for even the smallest and simplest acts of compassion. I challenge you to think of at least one act of compassion you can show every day. It will totally change your perspective on life. It will put you in the shoes of Jesus, and it will cause further fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Most of all, it just may save a soul. Amen.

With love in Christ,



Austin Aldrich